catching stars
by sruoh
Summary: "How long do you think it'll last?" The Doctor stops midsentence, and ponders for a bit. He answers with complete certainty after a while, with a smile on his face. "As long as you're with me, I'm sure of it." Rose paused, and bites her lip. "And how long is that?" "Forever." - Doctor/Rose


_I wrote this at 5 am in the morning. Just a bit angsty, just a bit fluffy, but with a happy ending._

_I don't own Doctor Who_

* * *

He grabs her hand, and squeezes.

They're on a planet, watching lights flicker above their heads, and if Rose Tyler tried hard enough she can pretend they are stars, and if she stood up on the tips of her toes, her fingertips could almost graze them.

She sits with her head resting on the Doctor's shoulder instead, and sighs.

His hand is cool in hers, and he's pointing at stars with his free one, and lists them, telling stories and tales of adventures he's had, and futures ones he hopes she will be a part of.

She's 21, and if the average life expectancy of the average UK female was 82 years, that means she has about 61 years left with the Doctor.

She plans on using up all those 61 years, too.

* * *

He caught a not-so-real star on the planet they had just visited. He keeps it in a jar, and while he explains to her how it works and the mechanics and physics and science of it all, she studies it with curious wide eyes, and smiles up at him.

"How long do you think it'll last?"

The Doctor stops midsentence, and ponders for a bit. He answers with complete certainty after a while, with a smile on his face. "As long as you're with me, I'm sure of it."

Rose paused, and bites her lip. "And how long is that?"

"Forever." He answers simply, and it's so raw and open Rose can almost feel tears in her eyes.

"Forever." She echoes back, and while the Doctor drags her to another adventure, she can't help the number 61 whispering in the back of her head.

She wonders how many forever's she can fit into her lifetime.

* * *

Rose is gone, and when he gets back into the TARDIS, and steps into her room, he weeps silently, almost wishing that she had gone out for chips, and will be right back smiling and laughing because everything was just as she left it.

He doesn't mention that the star had gone out, and was sitting in the jar, no longer shining bright and bold.

He does, however, go into a fit of rage, yelling and hollering and kicking throughout the halls in the TARDIS.

He doesn't stop for a long time.

* * *

Before the stars started going out, Rose would try to list all the stars in the sky in the other universe. After a while, she would cry and curl up because it was all wrong and some didn't exist while others that shouldn't exist did and she missed him more than anything.

That was the day she decided she would do something about it.

* * *

He thought that if he dropped Donna off for a bit and visited the Rose galaxy that it wouldn't hurt so much.

Instead, he thought about all the places they could have been, and that he would catch all the stars in the universes to get her back.

When Donna asks why he looks even more sad than usual, he quietly shakes his head and brings them to a planet where they could just relax.

* * *

After the Doctor leaves, and she's left with the new new new Doctor, she laughs, shoulders shaking with the cold Norway air blowing her hair into her face.

"What's so funny?" And he's teasing, just slightly, but worried even more because tears were streaming down her face.

"I'm just happy. All the pain and work I've gone through and I finally have you back."

The Doctor nods. "You're not mad?"

She stops laughing, and sobers up, but a smile is still plastered onto her face. "No. You're still you. It may take a bit, but I've fallen in love with you twice already, and it won't hurt falling in love for the third time."

The Doctor chuckles, hands squeezing tighter around hers, this moment feeling awfully familiar.

"Third time's the charm eh?"

And at that very moment, Rose felt that she finally got her hands on a star, which was holding onto her hand just as hard as she was to his.

* * *

After leaving Donna, with tired eyes, he visits Rose's room one last time. Before leaving, his eyes notice something glowing in a jar.

He smiles.

"As long as you're with me." He murmurs.

Forever.


End file.
